MERALCO clashes with a back-against-the-wall Phoenix side on Friday in the Philippine Governors’ Cup quarterfinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Bolts beat the Fuel Masters, 90-74, last Wednesday to bring the series to a do-or-die game for a chance to hitch the last ride to the semifinals and face the Alaska Aces in a best-of-five affair.
Game time is 7 p.m. and Meralco Head Coach Norman Black is all pumped up to advance in the next round.
“We expect to go on a hard battle to get to the semifinals. We should be the better team,” Black said.
The Bolts locked down on defense to limit the Fuel Masters to way below their average of 106.1 points per game.
They also limited Phoenix to only two triples in 26 attempts and a measly 28-of-93 from the field.
Import Allen Durham was again at the forefront of Meralco’s offense with 26 points that went with 16 rebounds and four assists.
Chris Newsome added 16 points, while Baser Amer contributed 16 points and six assists.
Durham’s counterpart, Eugene Phelps, had a double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds, but besides Calvin Abueva’s 18 points and 12 boards, no other local made a significant contribution for Phoenix.
Matthew Wright went silent with a 3-of-16 night for eight points, while back-up guard RJ Jazul only had two points on a 1-of-11 shooting.
The winner will take on Alaska, which sent home San Miguel Beer via an 96-85 beating last Wednesday.
The other semifinals showdown features a Manila Clasico between Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia. They eliminated NLEX and Blackwater, respectively.